On binary cubic and quartic forms

Abstract

In this paper we determine the group of rational automorphisms of binary cubic and quartic forms with integer coefficients and non-zero discriminant in terms of certain quadratic covariants of cubic and quartic forms. This allows one to give precise asymptotic formulae for the number of integers in an interval representable by a binary cubic or quartic form and extends work of Hooley. Further, we give the field of definition of lines contained in certain cubic and quartic surfaces related to binary cubic and quartic forms.